Illinois appraisal courses, 100% online

Yes. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) states that any of its required qualifying education offerings may be taken in person or online. Continuing education must be obtained through an IDFPR-approved appraiser education provider, and courses taken outside Illinois through unapproved providers require advance approval for out-of-state education credit.

There is no free route to the required education. Illinois requires qualifying education through an approved appraiser education provider, and providers charge tuition. One offset exists: the Pathways to Success scholarship, part of the Appraiser Diversity Initiative administered through the Appraisal Institute, can cover tuition for a Practical Applications of Real Estate Appraisal (PAREA) program, which substitutes for the traditional supervisor/trainee experience path.

Illinois appraiser education must come from a provider approved by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), and approved qualifying education courses may be taken in person or online. The Division of Real Estate licenses appraiser education providers and approves both pre-license and continuing education courses, and the state's approved-education list identifies which schools hold that approval.

Pick a level: Certified Residential or Certified General. Certified Residential requires 200 hours of qualifying education, 1,500 hours of experience over no fewer than 12 months, and college-level education or a listed alternative. Certified General requires a bachelor's degree, 300 hours of qualifying education, and 3,000 hours over no fewer than 18 months, including 1,500 non-residential hours. Both levels require IDFPR approval, the $62 PSI exam, a fingerprint background check taken within 60 days of applying, and the $315 application fee.

The Certified General credential in Illinois requires 300 hours of qualifying education, 3,000 hours of experience in no fewer than 18 months (at least 1,500 hours in non-residential work), a bachelor's degree or an approved alternative, and a passing score on the national exam administered by PSI Services LLC. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, pay a $315 non-refundable application fee, and clear a fingerprint-based background check. The exam consists of 110 scored questions plus 15 non-scored questions over 6 hours.

In Illinois, you first become an Associate Real Estate Trainee Appraiser: 83 hours of qualifying education since January 1, 2026, plus the 3-hour Supervisor-Trainee Course, a fingerprint background check, and a $225 application to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). Certified Residential then requires 200 hours of education and 1,500 hours of experience over at least 12 months; Certified General requires 300 hours and 3,000 hours over at least 18 months. Both require the national exam, which PSI administers for $62, plus college-level education.

To become a Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser in Illinois, you must be at least 18 and meet a college-level education option, such as a bachelor's degree, an associate degree in a listed field, or 30 semester hours of specified coursework. You must complete 200 hours of qualifying education and log 1,500 hours of acceptable appraisal experience over no fewer than 12 months. After the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) approves your application, you pass the national exam administered by PSI Services LLC; the $315 application fee is non-refundable.

Illinois does not issue a separate commercial trainee credential. The Associate Real Estate Trainee Appraiser license covers all property types, so entry is the same for everyone: 83 hours of qualifying education, the 3-hour AQB Supervisor-Trainee Course, a high school diploma or GED, a background check, and an approved supervisor. Commercial work comes later through the Certified General track, which requires 300 hours of qualifying education and 3,000 hours of experience in no fewer than 18 months, including 1,500 non-residential hours.

In Illinois, commercial appraisal requires the Certified General Real Estate Appraiser credential: 300 hours of qualifying education, a bachelor's degree, 3,000 hours of qualifying experience in no fewer than 18 months (1,500 hours in non-residential work), and the AQB Approved National Exam. You must also clear a fingerprint-based background check. The application fee is $315 (non-refundable), and PSI administers the 6-hour exam for $62.

Illinois does not issue a separate land appraiser credential; the state licenses Associate Real Estate Trainee, Certified Residential, and Certified General appraisers. Reports on agricultural complex or highly improved properties earn trainee experience credit of up to 60 hours for a supervisor plus one trainee under the state's experience credit matrix. Non-residential work such as land and agricultural appraising counts toward the 1,500 non-residential hours required for Certified General, which also takes 300 hours of qualifying education, a bachelor's degree, and the national exam.